


Parent Volunteering

by CharWright5



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas, M/M, Nanny Allison, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Polar Express Day, References to other Christmas movies, Single Parent Derek, Teacher Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-12 06:03:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12952911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharWright5/pseuds/CharWright5
Summary: Derek is battling a crush on his young daughter's third grade teacher, so naturally, he's stuck as the parent volunteer during the school'sPolar Expressevent the last half-day of school before Christmas break.





	Parent Volunteering

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Twelve Days of Sterek event. Inspired by my younger sisters' elementary school and their _Polar Express_ Day. I've honestly never seen the movie--well, actually I've seen the first, like, ten minutes, thought "that's enough of that" and changed the channel so...But I stand by the other character's opinions regarding the mentioned Christmas movies within this. So...
> 
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

It wasn't that Derek Hale wasn't involved with his daughter's school, because he was. He checked over homework every night, read the weekly email newsletter he received, never missed a parent-teacher conference, and donated cash to whatever fundraiser they were conducting that month to gouge more money out of the working stiffs like himself.

He was just thankful his job as an attorney—plus the family money he'd inherited when he'd turned eighteen over a decade ago—kept his bank account flush and that he could afford to give money in the first place. He felt bad for the parents who struggled and were still inundated with guilt-inducing emails and letters about how the kids' classrooms all needed touch-screen learning centers or individual iPads for every student. Yay, for the twenty-first century and all the technology that came with it in order to make education easier and more fun, but the way the school itself constantly tried to drain every parent of every cent was a bit much.

Still, Derek felt it was the best he could do for Noelle since he was too busy for the physical part of helping out: volunteering to be parent chaperone during field trips, making things for bake sales, PTA meetings. He showed up for every school production she was in, though, including that night's Christmas performance.

Granted it had come after a PTA meeting and he'd been forced to sit through bullshit over how this mom had organized a successful event and that classroom had raised the most money during the Pennies for the Holidays campaign and blah blah blah.

He'd checked the time out on his watch so often that his nanny, Allison McCall, had actually began smacking his hand when he went to raise it. He'd glare and she'd just give an unimpressed look right back because she knew him too well, knew he wouldn't do anything to her.

He may not have been married to her aunt anymore, but she was still family.

Didn't mean she was above being the recipient of an eye roll though.

The play eventually had started and it was full of the usual bumbling as kids forgot lines, some spoke too quietly and some too loud, the chorus full of off-key voices, and twirling kids dressed as snowflakes bumped into each other and the set. Noelle herself was dressed as one of Santa's reindeer—Dancer, to be exact—and had brought in her own improvised tapdance-like routine when she'd been introduced. Derek, of course, had recorded the whole thing on his phone—as did countless other parents—delighting in the “aww”s his daughter's little dance received from the crowd.

When the performance was over and the kids all bowed to the sound of parental applause, the principal took to the microphone once more, announcing that all the children could be picked up in their classrooms. Derek slipped his phone back in the pocket of his slacks, noting the shake of the head Allison gave him out the corner of his eye.

“What?” he grumbled as he rose to his feet, patting down the pockets of his pants and suit jacket to make sure nothing had been lost.

A smirk was on her face as she stood beside him, dimples forming on her cheek, arms slipping into her tan coat. “I still can't believe you didn't change after work before you came here,” she stated, amused more than anything.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes once more, grabbing his own coat off the back of the chair he'd been sitting on, moving out the way so a hassled mom could scoot by him. “I took off my tie, didn't I?” he pointed out with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, I didn't have time.”

Which was mostly, sorta true. When he'd gotten home after work, he'd had to reheat leftovers and scarf them down while Allison finished getting Noelle into her costume—essentially brown sweatpants and sweatshirt with a white patch sewn on for the belly, black gloves and shoes, and headband with antlers. Then he'd taken an inordinate amount of pictures as he was prone to do, embarrassing the eight year old with too many declarations over how cute she was, before whipping off his tie and rushing out the door so they wouldn't be late.

Allison rolled her eyes right back at him as she picked up her purse from where she'd stashed it under her chair, Derek getting into his jacket. “Wonder whose fault that is,” she quipped with a pointed look.

Derek pointedly ignored her, glancing around at the chaos that had overtaken the cafeteria/ auditorium, at the crowds all pressing to get to the exits, at the herd all trying to push their way through, believing themselves to be better and their child more important. Every now and then, he was reminded that this school truly was occupied by a bunch of rich snobs, moms who competed over whose husband made more money and what kind of car they'd been bought and whose whatever designer purse was bigger, better, newer.

It was why he never let it be known he was single or what he did for a living. Any number of them would sink their claws into him the second they could get the chance. He already felt like prey amongst them as they acted a little _too_ friendly and made comments on his looks that bordered on sexual harassment.

If he was being honest, it was another reason why he liked bringing Allison to these sort of events. Not only did she enjoy seeing Noelle perform, but it was nice to have someone with him that to anyone on the outside, could've been his wife, what with the diamond and matching gold band on her finger.

His own lack of ring could be easily explained by it not fitting or taking it off to fix something and forgetting to put it back on.

“Hey, Allison?” he called for her attention, turning to find her already looking at him. “If you want, you can go wait in the car while I grab Noelle, save you battling the crowd to the classroom.”

She pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side in a manner that meant she was pretending to think it over. He knew this mischievous girl too well. “No thanks,” she said sweetly, grinning at him with those Disney dimples. “I wanna see Noelle and tell her what a great job she did.”

He cocked an eyebrow, knowing full well she was up to something. But he was too wound up to think about it all that much, not when he was about to join the rush of parents, battle stragglers who moved too slow and try not to get run over by those moving too fast, as well as facing Noelle's teacher.

It wasn't that Derek had a problem with Mr Stilinski. The guy seemed like a great man, a great teacher. Not a day went by where Noelle wasn't excitedly rambling about what cool thing Mr Stilinski did that day or what he taught them. Classes outside as they learned about bugs, hatching eggs and raising baby chicks, the time they made American flags out of graham crackers, icing, licorice, and Fruit Roll-ups.

No, his problem with Mr Stilinski was more a problem with himself, had been since Derek had first laid eyes on the young man four years prior when he took Noelle to her open house before kindergarten. The teacher had been out in the hallway decorating his door before his own students were set to show and had given Derek a wide grin as they passed, waving at a still shy Noelle who was stuck within a shell caused by nerves at being around kids her own age and upset over her mom having just left only a few months prior. Derek had still been reeling from the sudden divorce and chalked it all up to being too open and raw, the way his heart skipped at the sight of that wide open smile.

But that didn't explain all the other times Derek had spotted him around the school and Mr Stilinski would gave that same smile and wave and “hey” and Derek's heart would skip and stutter and race. He knew it was a crush and tried to battle it away, tried to tell himself it would just end soon enough, that eventually Noelle would grow out of the school and move on to the sixth grade and he'd never have to see Mr Stilinski again.

Until, of course, Noelle just happened to be placed in Mr Stilinski's class and now Derek was seeing him more often, was seeing him at open house and parent-teacher conferences and on Friday afternoons when he slipped away from work early enough to come pick up Noelle himself, coming to her classroom to make sure she had all of her things and making idle small talk with Mr Stilinski over the weather and weekend plans and how good she was doing in class.

It was a single parent's dream come true and worst nightmare all wrapped up in one: an object of interest actually being interested in his kid.

Not that Derek wanted Noelle to have a teacher who hated her—or children in general—but it would've been so much easier for Derek and his heart to get over him if the guy was more indifferent to her or treated her like just another student, rather than giving her high fives and working extra with her on her problems with reading.

The asshole.

Right, Derek probably shouldn't be thinking words like that in an elementary school.

Then again, at least they were thought and not spoken out loud.

Allison folded her arms over her chest and cocked a hip, eyebrows raised and chin tipped as though daring him to come up with some excuse to send her away. And really the only excuse Derek had was that he didn't want her to see how obvious he could be with his crush on Mr Stilinski, the way the tips of his ears always felt hot and a smile of his own kept threatening to form on his face and the way he sometimes struggled to speak around the man. It was worse than high school.

Really though, given the look Allison was currently shooting his way, Derek wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't already caught on to the fact that he had a bit of a crush on Noelle's teacher.

Too damn smart for her own good, really.

He let out a sigh as he settled his coat about his shoulders, straightening the collar. “Fine. Figured I was doing you a favor.”

“Doing me a favor by making me sit in a freezing car on a cold night while you get to stay inside where all the warmth is?” she questioned dubiously, sliding out and into the aisle bisecting the section of metal seats they'd all been stuck on for the past hour or so.

Derek shrugged as he followed her. “Car would heat up eventually.”

She shot him an unimpressed look over her shoulder, smacking his chest with the back of her hand when he chuckled.

The hallways of Beacon Hills Elementary were a labyrinth that Derek could never navigate and he often wondered how the hell they expected small kids to find their way around. Then again, there was something to be said for single file lines and the buddy system, as well as teachers who helped guide the youngest ones off the bus and where they were going.

The signs at every corner probably helped.

Eventually they reached the third grade hall and Derek caught sight of Mr Stilinski's classroom at the very end, right by the metal exit door that led to the lot they'd parked in. It was decorated with a giant paper Christmas tree and glittery paper ornaments featuring each student's name, as well as a couple Menorahs for the Jewish students. The hallway outside was decorated with kid's drawings and short little paragraphs of what they wanted for the holidays, a trail leading up to the door itself, and Derek paused to find Noelle's, smiling at her messy handwriting. It was amazing how scribbled words was cute for little kids but illegible and unacceptable in adults.

A couple of parents were leaving with their little boy, an elf judging by the green outfit and painted red cheeks, and Derek and Allison got out of their way to let them exit. Really, it was good to get a breather, to take a moment to collect himself before having to go in. He could hear Mr Stilinski's loud laughter and his heart lurched in his chest in reaction. God, but that obnoxious sound shouldn't affect him the way it did. He shouldn't want to hear it more often, want to hear it in his own house, in his own bed, caused by something coming from his own mouth.

Stupid, stupid crush.

He gave a smile and a “happy holidays” to the passing family, the sentiment echoed by Allison then returned by the others, and when the coast was clear, he entered the room.

The place had been done up since the last time he'd been in there. Red and green paper chains hung from every wall. A giant paper Menorah was on the wall by the dry erase board at the front of the classroom, with four paper flames on four paper candles for the third night of Hanukkah, and next to it on the board itself were countdowns to both Christmas break and Christmas itself. The students cubby center was lined with tinsel and each individual cubby held a stocking with the student's name on it in gold glitter glue. Their desks each had a tiny paper origami tree and dreidel on top that Noelle had told Derek they'd made in class one day and Derek felt touched at the fact that Mr Stilinski had purposely added in items and activities to make every kid feel included in the holiday season.

Glancing around the classroom, Derek spotted a little boy showing off his own desk to his parents, trying to teach them how to spin the dreidel he'd made. Another little girl was getting her jacket on, her all white outfit and flowing wings meaning she'd been a snowflake in the play, her little sister more occupied with making her Barbie doll walk along a set of nearby desks. And at the front of the classroom, near his own decorated desk, was Mr Stilinski playing a game of patty cake with Noelle. A far more complicated version than Derek himself usually played.

Jesus, but the sight warmed his heart, seeing someone smile so genuinely at his daughter as though they were really having fun playing a round of hand-slapping and clapping that was meant for kids Noelle's age and not for fully grown adults. He wondered when he'd become such a sucker for this, for someone acting so nice to his kid, why he'd never reacted this way to any of Noelle's other teachers, only to realize. It wasn't the act by itself—as amazing as it was—but rather the fact that it was Mr Stilinski doing it that had him so weak-kneed over it.

He felt a nudge at his side and found Allison elbowing him with a knowing smirk, those damnable dimples of hers on full display. He glowered at her, letting her know without words how unappreciated her silent commentary was, and she rolled her eyes.

“Daddy!”

Turning, Derek found Noelle already running over to her, black sneakers slapping against linoleum floors, and he braced himself for impact as she crashed into his midsection.

“Did ya see? Did ya did ya did ya?” she asked excitedly, staring up at him with wide brown eyes, nose black and freckles painted on, her own black curls still held back by the antlered headband. Her arms were wrapped around him and she was practically vibrating in place and he wondered if she'd snuck any candy before going onstage. He didn't see any around the classroom but that didn't mean much.

“I did,” he told her, grinning at the way she beamed up at him, dimples in her own cheeks that she'd inherited from him. “You did a great job, sweetheart. I'm so proud.”

She giggled and bounced some more, soon growing distracted by Allison standing nearby, crashing into her for another hug and more praise.

Derek chanced a glance at Mr Stilinski, taking note of how he was sitting on the edge of his desk, arms folded over his chest in a casual manner. A small smile was on his face as he watched Noelle interact with some of the most important adults in her life, and Derek's stomach did a weird swooping type motion at the sight, at knowing his daughter was the cause of it.

Mr Stilinski's line of sight shifted, catching Derek's, and Derek felt his ears heat up at having been caught staring. But if the teacher minded, he didn't show it, simply smiling wider and giving a wave before rising to his feet and slowly walking over.

Oh. Oh _shit_.

Not good.

“Evenin', Mr Hale,” the teacher greeted with his usual wide grin and Derek swore those brown eyes of his were sparkling like a Christmas tree as they met his own green ones. Probably just the UV light overhead, he figured, hating how a cheesy grin of his own was spreading across his face.

“Mr Stilinski,” he returned, shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat in order to keep them to himself, in order to not do anything dumb like grab the guy by his stupid Rudolph tie and haul him in close for a kiss.

Or twelve.

“I'm glad you could make it. I actually have something I need to ask you.” Mr Stilinski's smile battled a wince of sorts, like he was trying to remain friendly and happy but was nervous about something.

Which...just set Derek's heart racing inside his chest in all honesty. Because his imagination was also taking off past the speed limit, filling his head with all kinds of fantasies over that thing he needed to ask being a request for dinner or a movie or both. If for no other reason than Derek himself was kind of dying to ask Mr Stilinski that very question.

Only it would probably be a really terrible idea. The guy was his daughter's teacher. He didn't want the man thinking he was only interested as payback for the extra tutoring help or to gain some sort of favor for Noelle, get her better grades or some such bullshit. And if things happened to go south, well then it would make the situation awkward for Noelle, being caught in the middle between her dad and her teacher. Not to mention the discomfort and awkwardness that would ensue during parent-teacher conferences.

Of course all of this is assuming that Mr Stilinski would even agree to a date with Derek in the first place. He probably had Hands Off the Parents rules of his own in place, either by himself or by the school. Hell, he could've already been with someone. He could've even been straight.

But Derek liked to think Mr Stilinski was single and that the smiles he gave Derek weren't smiles he gave to other parents.

A fact that was confirmed when one of the other families called out a goodbye to the teacher and he gave a small cursory smile, lips closed and the grin not reaching his eyes as he waved and gave a goodbye of his own.

Or maybe Derek was just so completely out of touch with dating and relationships and flirting and he was imagining things, exaggerating it all as his hopes got away from him.

Mr Stilinski cleared his throat and turned back to Derek, smile seeming more genuine and that light returning to his eyes and Derek had to remind himself to breathe, had to figure out how to actually do that very thing. The man made it hard on him sometimes.

“So,” Mr Stilinski began, an awkward chuckle leaving him, and Derek was reminded that he had a question for him.

Probably not the question he was hoping for.

Although, it _was_ the season of miracles...

“Why don't we go get your stuff together?” Allison said to Noelle, the little girl bobbing her head, curls flying.

“I wanna show you my tree!” she announced, taking hold of Allison's hand and skipping over to her desk.

A more genuine laugh left Mr Stilinski at that and Derek turned his attention back to him, touched once more by the care he showed his daughter. “Right, so,” he began, clearing his throat again before clapping his hands in front of his chest and using them to gesture toward Derek. “You know about our _Polar Express_ Day, I'm sure.”

Derek nodded. “Yeah. The last day of school before break, the kids get to come here in their pajamas, have a bunch of snacks, and watch the movie.”

A smile played on Mr Stilinski's face once more. “More or less, yeah,” he replied, seeming proud that Derek knew all that. Which, was surprising really. Noelle had been through that very event three times now. “Thing is, it's a lot of hassle. I mean, we do crafts all day, which is great, don't get me wrong, I love it and so do the kids. And then there's the cards and if friends brought gifts for one another and then handing out the snacks themselves, making sure everyone has a blanket, then corralling a bunch of sugar crazed munchkins as they bounce off the walls waiting for that final bell so Christmas can start. It's a lot.” He let out a long breath as though tired from just thinking about it, or maybe from the long ramble he went on, but Derek's heart went out for the guy. Couldn't have been easy.

Mr Stilinski wore a lopsided grin, sheepish at the words that had just spilled forth from his mouth at such a rapid rate. “So, anyway, I usually have a parent volunteer that helps, ya know? Handing out snacks, keeping track of everyone's stuff, making sure no one steals anyone's teddy bear, things like that. Only my parent volunteer for this year went in for emergency surgery today and won't be available next Friday to help.”

Oh. Derek knew where this was going.

“And I know you're busy with your job and Christmas is hectic for everyone, but I was kind of hoping,” Mr Stilinski trailed off, wincing, hand wringing the back of his neck. “I can always ask someone else, but it's just you haven't signed up to volunteer for anything else so.” He trailed off, cleared his throat, and it was obvious there hadn't been another part to that thought, that he was just blurting it all out as it came to him. “Yeah, sorry. Um. Is there any possible way you could help out next Friday?”

Derek glanced over at where Noelle was showing Allison her dreidel, trying to spin it, the nanny acting as though she hadn't been blatantly eavesdropping on Derek and Mr Stilinski's conversation. It was then that he realized the other family had already left without a word, the four of them the only ones in the room.

Ah.

Right.

The tips of Derek's ears heated up and he turned back to the teacher, seeing the hopeful look in his eye, the way his teeth were sinking into his bottom lip, the slight vibration in his body as he bounced on the balls of his toes. There was no way Derek could let the man down, he knew it. He couldn't be the one to wipe away the usual sunshine grin he wore, couldn't be the reason why he was so hassled trying to organize everything for the kids as well as find another parent volunteer. Not to mention the fact that Mr Stilinski had a point; he hadn't volunteered for anything that year beyond sending a bag of chips with Noelle for their pre-Thanksgiving party. Hell, that was his usual contribution to any sort of volunteering situation: send food with the kid.

Really, he was long overdue.

Plus it seemed like a fairly easy job, watching over kids finger-painting and watching a movie. He did that on weekends with Noelle, all while getting work done.

“Sure, no problem,” he found himself saying, shrugging like the no big deal it was.

The teacher looked taken aback for a moment, stunned by Derek's agreement, then a face-splitting grin formed on his face once more. “Alright. Great, thank you.” A small laugh left him, his face flushing adorably, and Derek seriously needed to get a rein on this crush of his before it lived up to its name. “Um, you mind showing up early that day? I tend to go all out that day.”

Derek cocked an eyebrow and gave a pointed glance around the room. “Really? Hadn't noticed.”

Mr Stilinski laughed and flushed further, ducking his head shyly. “Yeah. I, uh, I really like the holidays.”

“Me, too,” Derek admitted as Noelle bounced over, dressed in her puffy pink parka, purse shaped like a stuffed unicorn hanging off her shoulder.

“Daddyyyyy,” she whined. “Can we go? I'm tie-yurrrrrrd!”

Derek grinned down at her as she wrapped herself around him once more, putting his hand on top of her head, cautious not to knock her headband out of place so he didn't get an annoyed huff at that—despite the fact that it would be coming off soon enough anyway.

“I better go,” he stated, almost reluctantly, and he wasn't entirely sure if he imagined the way Mr Stilinski's smile seemed to falter ever so slightly or if it was wishful thinking once more.

“Of course,” he replied, waving it off and turning his attention to Noelle, tapping her on the shoulder to gain hers. “You did great tonight.”

“Thanks, Mr Stilinski,” she replied with a smile before letting out a yawn. Definitely crashing.

With a final goodbye, Derek picked Noelle up and carried her to the door, hearing Allison give her own goodbyes, a promise to see him over the weekend.

Because, of course, with Beacon Hills being as small as it was, it just so happened that his nanny and former niece-in-law was married to his crush's best friend and had known the guy since high school.

Adjusting Noelle on his arm, Derek headed out the classroom, the hall practically deserted save for a few stragglers, Allison soon joining them. Turning left to exit out into the parking lot, he wondered what the hell he'd gotten himself into with agreeing to help Mr Stilinski out the following Friday and if it was truly a good idea. He had a feeling that no, it wasn't.

Too late now.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek lived in a rather nice housing development that ordinarily was only about five minutes drive from the school, but thanks to the surplus of traffic as parents tried to leave and head to their own homes, it took closer to fifteen. The neighborhood itself was full of large houses all recently built and full of the snobby kind of assholes that occupied the parental population of Noelle's school. And while Derek was well-off and able to afford a big house for himself and his daughter, he liked to think he wasn't quite snobby.

At least he tried not to be. And if he was, then he'd get smacked upside the head by his mom, his two sisters, his cousin and her girlfriend, Allison, and his best friend Erica.

And some mom had once tried to hit on him by commenting that Noelle needed a female presence in her life. Ha!

Once inside his house, Derek instructed Noelle to go get her jammies on and teeth brushed, her feet dragging as she headed upstairs without an argument. All the excitement had worn off, her adrenaline gone, and now she was crashing in a major way. She was gonna sleep hard that night and hopefully let Derek get a bit of a lay in the next day.

Probably not, but he could dream. And dream he did.

Allison followed him into the kitchen, putting her jacket on one of the stools tucked under the breakfast bar before pulling one out to sit on. He pointedly ignored her as he set about getting Noelle's nighttime cup with a straw poking through a unicorn's head lid and filling it with water. He knew Allison settling in meant she was about to set in on him with some serious shit and he wasn't quite ready to handle any of it. As it was, he'd barely gotten his coat and suit jacket off and hung up, Noelle's jacket on the rack next to them, and he tried to figure out where exactly he'd left his tie.

“It's on the staircase railing,” Allison spoke up, correctly translating what his glancing about the room meant. “And I highly recommend not wearing one—or a suit of any kind—when you show up Friday to help out _Stiles_ ,” she added on, putting emphasis on Mr Stilinski's first name—or at least the name he went by—and fluttering her eyelashes at Derek in an exaggerated manner.

Derek just scowled at her, unscrewing the top of Noelle's cup. “I'm just helping out because the previously scheduled parent volunteer can't,” he argued, getting an eye roll in response.

“You can't lawyer me,” she stated, arms folded on the counter as she sat up straighter, smug smile on her face. “I know all your tricks and I'm not falling for them.”

Damn shame.

And since he wasn't gonna win any sort of argument—not that he really ever did with any female in his life, something that was part of his problem with his ex Kate—he decided to just not argue or debate anything, focusing on grabbing the pitcher of filtered water out the fridge and filling Noelle's cup.

“He likes you, too,” Allison stated, knowing he wasn't gonna say anything else, and Derek felt the tips of his ears heat up once more. “He rambles a lot more than usual with people he likes and his face gets all ruddy and patchy like earlier tonight.”

“I wouldn't say it was _patchy_ ,” Derek spoke without thinking, face immediately screwing up with regret at the way Allison's knowing grin grew. He let out a sigh as he returned the pitcher, struggling with the screw top of the cup as usual. Child safety tops were great and all, but sometimes they were just a giant pain in his ass.

Allison sighed as she rose to her feet, walking around the breakfast bar to join Derek at the island, snatching the cup from him and screwing on the top with no issues. Clearly it had been designed for a more feminine touch. She put it back on the counter before fixing him with a hard look, arms crossed, and he knew instinctively that whatever she was about to say, it had nothing to do with his ineptitude with a child's cup.

“It's okay to have a crush and be attracted to someone,” she stated in a tone more gently than he expected. “Kate left nearly five years ago, although emotionally, let's face it, she'd checked out long before that. You've grieved the dissolution of your marriage long enough. Time to make yourself happy with someone knew and in all honesty, you and Stiles? You weirdly make sense. You should really go for it.”

Scratching at his stubbled jaw, Derek ducked his head, unable to keep up eye contact with someone who was staring at him so intensely. “He's Noelle's teacher,” he pointed out lowly, just in case she was sneaking her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Last thing he wanted was to be busted talking about Mr Stilinski and then she blabbed it to the man himself, no matter what the exact nature of that discussion was. “It's more complicated than that.”

“No, it's not. You're just making it that way because you blame yourself for Kate leaving and are therefore punishing yourself in a manner of self-denial at anything that may make you happy.”

Damn. She was too good at this.

“Just go out with him once. If it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out. But hey, you still managed to go out on an actual date for the first time years.” She shrugged like the whole thing was no big deal and he honestly couldn't believe he was allowing her to talk him into this.

Soft footsteps padded closer, the conversation dying as Noelle sleepily shuffled in, dressed in her nightgown, face-paint still on and headband in her hair. A smile formed on Derek's face at the image and he stepped over to pick her up.

“Hey, my li'l reindeer,” he greeted her as she rubbed at an eye with her fist. “You brush your teeth?”

She nodded and let out a yawn as Allison stepped closer, handing over her cup.

“I'll see you guys Monday,” the nanny stated, kissing Noelle's cheek before turning to Derek. “Don't forget what I said. And to get your secretary to rearrange your schedule so you're free Friday.” With that, she left the kitchen and Derek stared wide-eyed, stunned at how stupid he was for forgetting.

God, he hoped he settled that damn Stevenson case by Friday.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Mr Stilinski wound up sending him a text Wednesday afternoon, asking if Derek could make enough popcorn for the class the next day and put them in baggies for each kid. “Enough popcorn” turned out to be roughly eight ounces each and he wound up having to make a second trip back to the store to buy more. He'd also snatched up themed Ziplocks with Christmas designs on them, as well as a couple Hanukkah ones, figuring the teacher would appreciate the extra mile he went to.

As the days and hours counted down to Friday morning, Derek found himself getting ridiculously giddy and nervous, excited to see the other man, and used the excuse of asking about his own pajamas in order to text him that Thursday night. He got a “ _yeah_ ” response, as well as a thanks for reminding Mr Stilinski that he needed to find some that were more “ _school appropriate. Dont think principal deaton would appreciate me showing up in just my boxers lol_ ”.

Derek spent the rest of the night with a fried brain as he imagined what kind of boxers and how the man would look wearing _just_ those. And while the principal certainly wouldn't have anything good to say about Mr Stilinski showing up in them, Derek had no issues with the idea at all.

Okay, maybe not around the kids, but definitely around Derek's house, yeah.

Derek woke himself and Noelle up before the sun, something she made well known that she didn't appreciate. He made it up to her by cooking pancakes in the shapes of Christmas trees and stockings, as well as reminding her that it was only a half-day and she got to spend it in her pajamas. The last part seemed to perk her up and she demolished her food in record time, despite his countless instructions to slow down before she made herself sick.

He got dressed in a pair of black fleece PJ pants covered in stormtrooper helmets wearing Santa hats—the closest he had to Christmas pajamas—courtesy of Noelle via her Aunt Laura's money and shopping trip. He paired it with a black henley then shoved his feet into a pair of sneakers, feeling like an even bigger dork when the bottom of his pants bunched up over the shoes. Whatever. Wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone.

He knew it was a lie yet he still kept repeating it to himself.

Noelle dressed up in her favorite purple unicorn onesie, the hood pulled it so the rainbow horn was on top of her head, white yard mane in a stripe down the back of it and tail swishing as she wiggled her butt in excitement. She'd also put on her favorite sparkly purple Ugg-type boots that had come courtesy of her Auntie Erica and made sure to grab a present for her best friend Anna, who was more of a Pegasus fan than a unicorn one and also happened to be Erica and Boyd's daughter. Derek triple checked they had everything, stuffed his kid into her jacket amid multiple protests, then threw on his own coat before grabbing the large gift bags he was using as more festive totes and heading out to the car.

The sun was beginning to rise as they pulled into the lot and Derek parked his SUV. He helped Noelle out and handed her her present, as well as her unicorn blanket she'd need to sit on during the movie. Bags in hand, he kept one on her back as she led him through the school to her classroom, the door open and light already on.

Mr Stilinski had already been busy setting up for the day. The top of the cubbies and the back table were covered in quilt batting, making it look like fake snow and he was busy putting more over the bookshelves to the side. A small tree sat in a back corner, lights plugged in, tiny ornaments shaped like presents and dreidels and snowflakes all over it. The back table itself was stocked huge Tupperwares of cookies, boxes of candy canes, paper cups, plates, and napkins, as well as a large coffee dispenser that was presumably filled with hot cocoa at the ready for later.

Derek knocked on the doorframe as they entered and Mr Stilinski paused what he was doing, turning to give the newcomers a smile, dressed in a red thermal top and black pajama pants with some sort of ugly Christmas sweater pattern on them. He finished putting the batting in place, hiding the tape he was using to keep it there, then stepping off the chair he'd been standing on to reach the tall shelves.

“Hey! Glad you guys could make it,” he greeted them jovially, way too happy and awake for the hour.

Derek let out a grunt of sorts in response, a yawn soon following that was echoed by Noelle before she sleepily shuffled over to put her gift in Anna's cubby. “We're not quite awake yet,” he explained as he removed his coat and Mr Stilinski let out a laugh, eyes twinkling.

“Yeah, I get it. Took me a long time to get used to the early mornings. That, plus a lot of caffeine. Speaking of,” he trailed off and walked over to his desk on the opposite side of the room from where he'd been standing, picking up a styrofoam cup and extending it towards Derek. “I don't know how you feel about peppermint lattes, probably should've asked.” A sheepish wince was on his face and Derek shrugged a shoulder.

“I actually love mint flavored stuff,” he stated with a small smile, taking the offered drink. “It's Noelle that hates it. Me and Allison usually treat ourselves to any candy canes she gets.”

“Well, it's a good thing I grabbed these then,” the teacher stated, striding back over to the other side of the classroom again, to where the snack table was set up. Derek followed, watching as Stiles grabbed a box of something and held it up so Derek could get a better look.

“Starburst candy canes?” he questioned, putting the bag of popcorn down and taking hold of the box, checking it out for himself. And sure enough, they were candy canes made by Starburst, in all the different colors and flavors the chewy candy usually offered: orange, lemon, cherry, whatever the hell the pink was. A small smile formed on Derek's face as he looked at what else the table held, noticing that he had a separate Tupperware of dreidel and Star of David cookies, as well as bags of marshmallows in both regular size and tiny. “You really do think of everything, huh?”

Mr Stilinski's cheeks grew red and he shrugged a shoulder as he wrung the back of his neck. “I just don't want anyone to feel left out. I grew up being ostracized and picked on because my dad's the sheriff and I was always kind of a dork, so if there's anything I can do to make a kid feel included and special, then I'm gonna do it.”

Derek wasn't the Grinch by any means, but he felt his heart swelling with affection for the other man, putting the candy canes back where they'd been. “Well it's no wonder Noelle seems to love you so much,” he stated without thinking, the tips of his ears going red. Not that he had anything to be embarrassed about. It was a good thing his daughter liked her teacher so much and now Derek was getting a first hand look at why.

A soft smile formed on the other man's face and he glanced back at the rest of the classroom, Derek doing the same and finding Noelle at her desk, blanket being used as a pillow on her desk, eyes closed. “I like her, too,” Mr Stilinski admitted, turning back to Derek with that same smile on his face. “She's a good kid. You should be proud.”

“I am.” A grin of his own formed on his face, pride in his parenting making him stand a little straighter. There were so many times when he'd doubted himself after Kate left, scared he'd do the wrong thing and screw up Noelle for good, yet she was a bright, amazing, sweet, caring kid and he couldn't find it in himself to think anything he'd done so far was a mistake.

Granted he may change her mind when her teenage years started and she'd be screaming over how much she hated him as she slammed her door, but for now, he was gonna enjoy things the way they were.

“I like your pants.”

The comment had Derek pausing for a moment, mind fritzing as he tried to figure out what the hell had just been said and how to react to it. Then he remembered his dorky _Star Wars_ PJ pants, tips of his ears heating up as he ducked his head in embarrassment. Only to realized Mr Stilinski's own pajama pants actually featured AT-ATs and Vader's head amongst the snowflakes and Christmas sweater pattern.

“I like yours, too,” he replied with a grin, watching as the teacher sipped at his drink, face flushing adorably.

He was gonna be the death of Derek. Honestly.

Right, a distraction was in order, and his foot just so happened to slip and tap against it. Reaching down, Derek picked up one of the large gift bags he'd been using, placing his coffee on the table as he did so. “Noelle picked out these tiny reindeer pencil toppers for her classmates. Should I put them on their desks or--?” he trailed off, unsure, and the smile he received from Mr Stilinski almost fried his damn brain.

“The stockings over their cubbies are for small gifts and cards,” he explained and Derek nodded.

“Answered my next question,” the father replied with a small grin, reaching in and pulling out a stack of small envelopes Noelle had spent the previous weekend working on with him.

“You're welcome,” Mr Stilinski quipped with a wink and Derek was pretty sure he blue-screened like a computer.

Numbly, he turned and set to work, making sure the right envelopes went in the right stocking and every one got a reindeer—including Mr Stilinski himself.

“Noelle seems to have a thing for reindeer,” the teacher commented and Derek let out a small laugh, not surprised it was picked up on.

“She told me it's because they're the closest thing Christmas has to unicorns.”

“Ah. Makes sense.”

Everything put where it was supposed to, he folded up the bag for later use and stashed it under the snack table, turning to Stiles with his hands on his hips. “So. What can I do to help?”

Mr Stilinski put him to work setting out gift baggies on every child's desk, names on the baggies corresponding to the ones on the tables themselves. Each baggie contained a pack of hot chocolate, some large marshmallows, and a candy cane, as well as instructions for making “melted snowman hot cocoa”. The teacher quipped that Derek would most likely be getting the candy cane out of Noelle's and Derek joked back it was only if he beat Allison to it. Mr Stilinski then promised to send Derek home with an extra so she'd keep her hands off.

More fake snow batting was put up, around Mr Stilinski's desk and those belonging to the students, as well as around the dry erase board and notice board full of kid's projects and art. Derek was put to work hanging origami snowflakes from the ceiling and the place began to feel like a Winter Wonderland, by way of Pinterest.

Soon enough, kids began trickling in and Noelle woke back up, groggy at first but then excited when Anna showed, handing over a gift of her own. Derek had almost forgotten what it was like in elementary school, when learning was still fun and going to school was a blast, rather than in high school when the last day before winter break meant exams and tests and arguments over why he had to bother going at all. But there was joy on the students faces as they entered, each one letting out their own exclamation of wonder, and Mr Stilinski's own face seemed to light up at their reactions. Derek realized why he did it, why he went through all the trouble, and found himself once more touched by the other man, smiling fondly.

And when Mr Stilinski looked over and found Derek already smiling, he simply grinned back, cheeks going rosy in an adorable manner. Derek was so doomed with this man.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The day turned out to be more fun than Derek imagined it would've been. After they got past the usual daily requirements of the Pledge of Allegiance and school announcements—with the normally stoic principal sounding a bit more jolly—Mr Stilinski put on Christmas music through the Pandora app on his phone, plugging it into a speaker dock he'd put on his desk. He explained to Derek that December was the one month a year he actually put forth the extra few bucks for the commercial free premium option so he could listen to Christmas tunes non-stop. He had to skip a song a couple times, _Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer_ beginning more than once and he looked sheepish every time.

“Don't want some parent complaining that their kid came home singing about their grandma being the victim of a sleigh-hicular hit and run,” he told Derek quietly, making the older man chuckle.

“Good song though. Twisted, but good.”

Mr Stilinski smiled before being called over to help a kid and Derek vowed to be the cause of that expression more often as the day wore on.

The kids made reindeer antler headbands by tracing their hands on construction paper and cutting it out for the antlers, gluing them to red or green construction paper bands that wrapped around their heads. Both Derek and Mr Stilinski helped them measure the bands properly and staple them in place, the teacher talking the father into making a set of his own. He felt stupid but it was worth it to see the way the other man smiled at him and his daughter lit up with giggles.

They also made Santa puppets with white paper lunch bags, markers, and cotton ball beards. Raucous laughter filled the room, broken up when kids recognized the songs playing, _Jingle Bells_ being the most popular.

A mini, sugar-filled feast happened mid-morning, thanks to Mr Stilinski's cookies as well as parent provided cupcakes, gingerbread men, chips, and clementines that went mostly ignored by the kids. Fruit punch was downed like it was nothing and soon after, requests for the bathroom were being made.

The room was cleaned up after that, none of the students complaining, which impressed Derek at how well-behaved they were. Then again, they were told the movie was set to happen soon, so bribery was probably a big part of it. Desks were carefully pushed aside, towels and blankets set on the floor so the kids could all watch the movie. Mr Stilinski had brought his own beach towels from home for those who forgot, then began pouring out the hot cocoa with Derek's handing out candy canes—including the Starburst ones to the three kids who didn't like mint, Noelle included. Derek also distributed the popcorn, making sure to ask which kids celebrated Hanukkah so they'd get the right bag. A look of surprised pleasure formed on the teacher's face and the volunteer felt his heart pound at the thanks he got in response for the thoughtfulness.

The overhead lights were cut off so the tree and the TV were the only sources of light. The movie began playing over the school channel and soon after a hush fell over the kids as they all became engrossed in the movie. Derek joined Mr Stilinski at the back of the classroom, both of them sitting on chairs with hot cocoas of their own. He tried not to think about the candy cane in the teacher's mouth and what else could be put between those lips, focusing instead on using his to stir his drink.

“This CGI still creeps me out,” the teacher said quietly, drawing Derek's attention, the father staring at him then glancing at the TV for a moment.

“I honestly don't think I've ever watched this movie the whole way through,” he admitted before taking a drink of his hot cocoa.

“It's alright, I guess,” Mr Stilinski admitted with a shrug. “Kind of don't get why they use it for this day though. I mean, I get that it's a good excuse for the kids to stay in their PJs and have fun during this half-day, but I feel like there are better Christmas movies.”

“ _The Grinch_ for starters,” Derek chimed in.

“As long as it's the original cartoon.”

“The remake doesn't exist in my house. I forbid it,” he stated with a scowl, fully adamant in his stance on that fact. A small laugh left the teacher and he held his styrofoam cup up for a cheers, Derek knocking his against it carefully then taking a drink. “They should play _The Santa Clause_.”

Mr Stilinski let out an agreeing and almost excited hum as he drank, pausing to swallow before he spoke. “I will forever maintain that Tim Allen is the greatest fictional Santa Claus in history.”

Jesus, this guy was beyond perfect and Derek felt himself smiling like a moron. “I get into that argument with my older sister every year. She claims some guy from some Hallmark Channel movie is, but I just tune her out.”

The teacher laughed again, grinning wide. “Well, next time she tries to debate the truth, you can just call me for back-up,” he stated, giving a wink at the end, and Derek was glad it was so dark in the room in order to hide the way his ears heated up and spread across his cheeks.

He'd just been given permission to call the man he was crushing on.

Okay, it was for back-up during a stupid debate, but still. It was _something_. And now Derek was faced with a debate over whether or not he actually would call.

Allison's knowing smirk showed up in his mind and he had a feeling that she'd wind up peer-pressuring him into doing it so yeah, he would call at some point.

God, that was terrifying.

“Know what else is a classic that I grew up with?” Mr Stilinski went on, voice still as low as it had been the entire conversation.

Derek turned with a raised eyebrow, cup to his mouth as an excuse to not speak since he wasn't entirely trusting his voice at that point.

“ _Home Alone_.”

Derek was gonna marry the guy.

“God yes,” he muttered out, grinning wide. “That's one of my all-time favorites. Watch it even when it's not Christmas.”

The teacher sat up straighter in his seat, hands almost flailing, seeming to forget the half-full cup in his hands. “Mine, too!” he squeaked out in excitement, turning to make sure he hadn't disturbed his students before continuing. “Last Christmas, my friend Scott—you know Scott, right? Allison's lesser half?” Derek nodded, smirking at the nickname. “He bought me these awesome tube socks that say ' _Merry Christmas, you filthy animal_ ' on 'em. Almost wore them today but I didn't want any of the kids seeing them and questioning things.”

Derek just stared, gaped really, murmuring out an absent “You're the one” and getting a confused frown in response. “Scott dragged me gift shopping for Allison last year and we happened upon those socks. He mentioned his best friend loved the movie and I stated that his best friend—you, obviously—has good taste. He ended up going back and picking up a pair for me, too.”

The grin that appeared on Mr Stilinski's face was bigger than anything Derek had seen all day, eyes twinkling in the dark, and his stomach swooped and heart raced and skin tingled. “So we have matching socks? Sweet.”

The conversation ended when a student came up to ask if she could go to the bathroom, teacher-duty calling, and Mr Stilinski was pulled away to watch out the door as she went to the restroom. But Derek was stuck fixated on how genuinely excited the other man had seemed over them having matching cheesy socks and similar tastes in movies, and how he felt the same exact sense of joy.

He was in too deep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When the movie finally—blissfully—ended and Derek was no longer subjected to creepy CGI, the kids began another round of clean-up set to more Christmas music. The main lights were turned back on, blankets and towels folded back up, and the desks pushed back where they belonged. Trash was put away in the proper receptacle, cards and gifts gathered, and both Derek and Mr Stilinski helped the kids get their stockings down off their cubbies. The teacher also gave each student a bell on a red ribbon, some reference to the movie that Derek had missed, the ribbons all featuring the kid's name written in gold pen.

He was definitely a talented man. That, or he really did spend too much time on Pinterest.

About twenty or so minutes after the movie ended, Principal Deaton came over the PA system once more and wished everyone a good Christmas break and to enjoy the holidays, making a terrible joke involving how all the kids were clearly on Santa's Nice List. Even Mr Stilinski rolled his eyes at that, shaking his head and seeming to think of a child or two who definitely were getting coal that year.

The announcement for bus riders soon followed, Mr Stilinski guiding those kids out the door. Not long after was the call for car riders, the teacher disappearing once more, leaving Derek with Noelle for a few moments. He helped pick up trash that was left, popcorn on the floor and icing from a sugar cookie smeared on a desk, figuring he could give the poor janitor a tiny bit of a hand. Probably wouldn't make much of a difference, but it made him feel a bit better.

Mr Stilinski returned with an exaggerated sigh and bugged out eyes, slumping back against the wall by the door to express how tired he felt.

“Imagine if it _wasn't_ a half day,” Derek quipped, getting a groan as Stiles slowly sank down.

“I don't wanna think about that. Or about what I'd do without help.” He shot an appreciative smile at Derek as his hand ran through his own brown hair. “Thank you for everything, by the way. You were great with the kids.”

The tips of his ears went hot and he shrugged it off. “I had a bit of practice,” he joked, motioning to Noelle still sitting at her desk, fully engrossed in the new My Little Pony toy she'd gotten from Anna—one with a horn, of course. “What can I help with now?”

The teacher's eyes went wide momentarily before he pushed himself up to his feet, shaking his head. “I'm just gonna clean all this up on a work day in January. Feels wrong to take down Christmas decorations before Christmas, ya know?”

Derek nodded, understanding. “Well, can I help carry anything to your car?”

Yet another smile spread across Mr Stilinski's face, a red tint forming on his cheeks. “Yeah. I'd appreciate that. Thanks.”

The two headed to the snack table, tidying up the mess. Spare napkins, cups, and plates were put in a grocery bag as the Tupperware of cookies was covered. The candy cane boxes went in another bag and the teacher held them out to Derek, shrugging a shoulder at the questioning look he gave.

“This way Allison can't complain she didn't get any. Plus you said Noelle doesn't like mint, so she'd probably like the Starburst ones.”

It was all Derek could do to grab the bag and not Mr Stilinski himself, not haul him in close and kiss the crap out of him. “Thanks,” he stated, hating how his voice cracked, hating how his ears grew hotter.

Things were gathered and jackets were put on, and Derek followed Stiles out to his car in the teacher's lot, Noelle in tow, still playing with her pony as she also held on to one of Derek's previously used gift bags now filled with things she'd received from classmates. The teacher's car turned out to be a huge clunker of a powder blue Jeep and he opened the hatch on the back to toss in the bags, taking the hot cocoa canister from Derek's hand and putting it in with them.

Silence descended, feeling almost awkward, and Derek glanced around to find the lot practically deserted. The bag of candy canes in his hand felt heavier than it actually was, weighed down with possibilities and the moment and everything he wanted to say but was holding back for some reason.

He thought of that movie _Love Actually_ and the guy who held up the cue cards for Keira Knightly and how one of them said something about “ _if you can't be honest at Christmas, then when can you?_ ” and...he made a good point.

Swallowing hard, Derek cleared his throat, shuffling his feet before finally speaking. “So, this theater downtown is showing _Home Alone_ this weekend and. And I'm sure you probably have some sort of thing against dating your student's parents and I'm probably reading all of this wrong, but would you maybe--”

“I'd love to,” the teacher interrupted, grinning wide before his face fell. “I mean, I'm assuming you're asking me to go with you. Unless I'm the one reading all of this wrong.”

“Nope. I was definitely trying to ask you out.”

“Oh.” A relieved breath left Mr Stilinski and he smiled once more. “Good. I'm glad. And yeah, I'd love to go with you.”

Derek smiled wider than he had in years and the teacher glanced down at Noelle who was busy making her unicorn fly in the air, not paying them any sort of attention at all. Knowing they didn't have an audience, the younger man stepped closer and pressed his lips to Derek's, taking him by surprise and robbing him of his breath.

Wow.

Stiles was lit up like a Christmas tree, beaming, and Derek felt it down to his very soul.

“Sorry,” the teacher said lowly, grinning in a totally unapologetic way. “I've been wanting to do that for about four and a half years now.”

Since Derek had first spotted him at Noelle's kindergarten open house.

A chuckle left him before he leaned forward and kissed Stiles once more, relishing the pressed of a smile against his lips. “I've been wanting to do that for about four and a half years, too.”

This time Stiles was the one to breathe out a laugh, stepping away and walking backwards to his driver's door. “Call me later, yeah?”

“Definitely,” Derek promised, putting his hand on Noelle's back to get her attention back.

Stiles bade them both goodbye, Noelle waving wildly and wishing him a merry Christmas, a sentiment he returned to her. And for Derek, he gave a big smile that promised of giving him a very merry Christmas indeed.


End file.
